Smews

 A beautiful winter morning saw Shozzer and I head over to Eyebrook where a glorious sunrise was as good a way as any to start our day. The light meant that viewing conditions from south of the island were challenging to say the least but things were decidedly better from north of here.

Smews

In the bay north of the island I managed to pick out a redhead Smew which though distant showed well enough through the scope. Alan then picked out a splendid drake Smew which again was similarly distant but I enjoyed my views nonetheless Even further away was a drake Red crested Pochard off the plantation shore, it seems as if the post eclipse flock has all but moved on. Shozzer had a fleeting glimpse of a female Scaup but I was unable to catch up with it. A male Stonechat showed well enough at the inflow where a minimum of ten Dunlin had joined the many Golden Plovers which had gathered there. Last birds of note here were a minimum of twenty Pintails feeding around the tern rafts.

Goldeneye and Shovellers

Blatherwycke was our next port of call but both the lake and the churchyard failed to produce any sightings of note. We opted to then head for the Cross Keys in King's Cliffe where I enjoyed a couple of pints of decent beer.

Pintail, Plovers and Fieldfare